


Ancestral Footsteps

by boneswrites



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Confessions, Cuddles, Domestic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s07e22 Waimaka 'Ele'ele (Black Tears), Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt Steve McGarrett, Insecurity, M/M, Missing Scene, Missing Scenes, Protective Danny "Danno" Williams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-04 13:50:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10992216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boneswrites/pseuds/boneswrites
Summary: Minor changes to Waimaka 'ele'ele  (7x22) where Danny finds Steve after his fight with Campbell, which ends with a trip to the hospital. Danny, with the help of Charlie, takes care of the SEAL afterwards. And Steve confesses some feelings (and insecurities) to Danny regarding what they learned about his grandfather and what it means for him as a McGarrett.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was rewatching 7x22 and I needed a little more McDanno, especially towards the end with Steve and his fight. And I wanted a scene where Steve talks to Danny about finally knowing what his grandfather did at Pearl Harbor and how it affected him. And then this happened. Chapter 2 is being written right now and it will be up soon. I hope you enjoy and feedback is always greatly appreciated!

Danny had lost sight of Steve during their exchange with the robbers. Quickly, Danny counts the number of guys firing at Five-0 and realizes they’re a man short. Uncoincidentally, so is his own team.

Danny hears the sound of glass breaking a few moments after the realization hits him, and he doesn’t need anything else to know what’s going down just down the block. He wants to run, to help Steve but the bullets flying around him immediately snap him back and he automatically pulls the trigger over and over.

They manage to bring down the assailants and the blond detective doesn’t waste a single second and takes off, racing to find Steve.

The shattered door is enough of a clue and Danny steps in, his eyes surveying the place and they land on Steve. Who’s lying on the ground. His eyes closed. Blood coating his face.

Danny’s heart drops and his wills his suddenly very heavy feet to move. He’s by Steve’s side in a heartbeat.

“Steve!” Danny sticks to fingers to his partner’s neck, holding his breath until he feels a thump against his skin. He allows himself a second of relaxation, because Steve has a pulse, even though it’s slower than Danny likes. But the big idiot is alive.

Danny blows out some air and takes off his black gloves, cupping the side of Steve’s face. “Steve?” He tries again. “Come on, babe, it’s me.”

No response.

“Damn it,” Danny curses. “Chin!”

Danny hears rapid footsteps getting closer and he feels Chin standing over his shoulder moments later.

“Call for an ambulance, he isn’t responding,” Danny says, his other hand going to Steve’s vest.

A tiny groan escapes from Steve and Danny’s eyes are immediately back on the SEAL’s face.

“Steve? Steve.”

Steve swallows, wincing.

“Easy, easy. Just open your eyes, can you do that?”

Instead of speaking, Steve manages to peel his eyelids open, his vision blurry at first but soon enough the two Dannys merge into one. And it’s the most beautiful thing Steve’s ever seen.

“You with me?”

Steve nods slowly.

“Good, that’s good, babe,” Danny lets out a sigh of relief, his thumb caressing Steve’s cheek. “Now just hang on, the ambulance is on its way.”

Steve’s heart starts racing and he tries to take a deep breath to calm himself down but his chest starts screaming at him, and a loud groan tears through his throat.

“It’s okay, you’re okay,” Danny reassures his boss.

“Danno…” Steve whispers.

“I’m here, I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere,” Danny promises.

They hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance.

“You’re doing great, babe. They’re almost here.”

A few minutes later, the paramedics are rushing in, and Danny stands up to give them space.

“He wasn’t conscious when I found him, and he came back a few minutes ago. He tried to breathe but his chest wasn’t cooperating,” Danny tells them.

One of them nods and both work in sync, putting an oxygen mask on Steve’s face while the other slowly takes off his vest. The paramedic palpates Steve’s abdomen and his side, and nods.

“What is it?” Danny asks.

“He has a few cracked ribs, and maybe some internal injuries.”

Danny squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head, feeling a hand on his shoulder. He opens his eyes and turns to face Chin. No words need to be exchanged, Danny knows Chin is offering support. Danny swallows and nods at his friend.

The paramedics work quickly but efficiently to get Steve loaded into the ambulance, Danny hitching a ride with them and the rest of the team following.

Danny stays out of the way for the paramedic to continue working on Steve, but he holds the taller man’s hand tightly in his own.

Steve wakes up a few minutes later, his eyes darting around in worry and confusion until they find Danny’s familiar face and he visibly relaxes.

“You’re okay, we’re almost at Tripler,” Danny gives Steve a small smile, their hands still connected.

Once they arrive, Danny stays by the head of the gurney as Steve is wheeled into the medical center, his eyes glued on Steve. He steps aside when they take the SEAL into an examination room and the doctors start looking him over. He lingers in the doorway, not wanting to be far away and yet not wanting to disturb the doctors as they work.

They connect Steve to different machines and it’s all so familiar to Danny, he needs to takes a few deep breathes to recollect himself, the memories of too many close calls rushing back. He tries pushing them to the side, reminding himself that Steve is here, Steve is alive and Danny will be damned if he’d let anything happen to him.

It had taken getting shot, a miraculous beach plane landing and a liver transplant to finally get Steve and Danny to admit their feelings and finally get together. And now, nearly a year later, they were once again at Tripler, one of them on a gurney. Danny just can’t believe their luck.

Danny snaps back to reality when he hears his name being called from behind. He turns his head over his shoulder to see the rest of the team jogging towards him.

“How is he?” Chin asks, stopping next to the blond detective, his eyes landing on the doctors working on Steve.

Danny shrugs. “They haven’t said anything yet.”

The four of them watch, holding their breaths. A few go off, making Danny’s heart drop but they’re taken care of almost immediately. About thirty agonizing minutes of standing at the door, the doctor takes off his latex gloves and walks over to them.

“Why don’t we step outside for a moment?” He suggests.

They walk with him, Danny rubbing his hands together. “How is he doing?”

“He’s hanging in there. His pressure kept bottoming out so we were mainly focused on stabilizing that. Commander McGarrett also suffered a concussion and I’ll need to take some x-rays to confirm but he most likely has a few broken ribs as well.”

“The paramedics said something about internal injuries?” Danny interjects, his heart thumping in his ears.

“There’s no internal bleeding so that’s a good sign. Again, I’ll have to take some scans but the preliminary examination and from the state of his breathing, I predict that one of his lungs has been bruised.”

Danny swallows. “But other than that, he’s okay?”

“He’s healthy and strong, with a little bit of time off and rest, he’ll make a full recovery,” the doctor nods.

One more thing Danny has to ask about. “About a year ago, he got shot and wrecked his liver and got a liver transplant, is everything okay in that area?”

“Everything’s okay, there’s no sign of any damage to the liver.”

For the first time since Danny found Steve lying on the ground, he allows himself to relax and let out a long sigh of relief. Steve isn’t in good shape right this second, but he’ll be fine and that’s what matters. Danny will stay by his side through it all.

“Thank you so much,” Danny extends his hand and the doctor shakes it. “Can we see him?”

“Absolutely. We’ll take him up in a bit to get the x-rays and scans, but you can stay with him until then.”

Danny walks in first, going to Steve’s side and wrapping his hand around Steve’s. Chin walks around to the other side, while Kono and Lou stand at the foot of the bed.

“Hey babe, we’re all here. You’re going to be just fine,” Danny leans down, brushing his lips against Steve’s forehead.

Two nurses come by ten minutes later to take Steve upstairs, Danny gives his hand a squeeze before letting go, watching as the nurses wheel Steve out of the room. Danny closes his eyes, pressing the heels of his hands against them and he feels completely and utterly exhausted.

As if he read Danny’s mind, Chin is putting a hand on Danny’s shoulder and leading him towards the couch near the wall that probably no one noticed until now.

“Sit down, brah,” Chin says.

Danny nods, dropping down on the couch and leaning back against the cushions.

“You heard the doc, he’s gonna be just fine,” Chin reminds him, taking a seat next to him.

“I know, I know, I just…I hate how many times we end up here. And it’s always the same thing. I understand his urge to save others, to put people’s live in front of his own but…I don’t know. I don’t want to change him, I just want him to be more careful. Because one of those days I swear he’s going to be the death of me,” Danny sighs.

“I’m sure Steve would go to the end of the world to make sure you don’t die,” Chin bumps his shoulder with Danny’s.

Danny’s sigh turns into a chuckle. “I guess.”

*****

The doctor appears forty-five minutes later, minus Steve. Danny’s instantly on his feet, sensing that something isn’t right.

“Is Steve okay? Where is he?”

“Commander McGarrett is fine. I settled him in a regular room for the time being, to give both him and you some privacy,” the doctor replies.

“What did the tests show?” Chin asks, anxiety in his voice.

“The broken ribs will heal on their own, and the Commander will have a little difficulty breathing because of his bruised lung, but we’ll give him pain killers to help and ease the process. We have to keep him overnight to keep a close eye on him because of the concussion he suffered, and the rest of the bruises and cuts will heal on their own.”

“He’s not going to like having to stay here over night,” Danny blows out.

“Tomorrow is the earliest I can discharge him. And even then, someone will have to stay with him for at least three days.”

“Don’t worry, doc, he and I live together, I’ll keep an eye on him,” Danny says.

“Okay,” the doctor nods. “How about I take you to see him?”

“Please.”

Steve looks slightly better when the team walks into his room. The majority of the machines he was hooked on earlier gone, and his face isn’t scrunched up in pain anymore. His face is smooth. There’s a pulse ox attached to his index finger to track his heartbeat, an IV in his arm and an oxygen mask covering his face, fogging with every breath he takes. Steve looks okay, all things considered.

Chin, Kono and Lou hang around for about another hour, before they decide to call it a day and head out. They make Danny promise to call if anything changes, and to give Steve their love when he wakes up.

A wave of nurses is in and out of Steve’s room for the first few hours, writing down his vitals and checking on him. And Steve slept through it all, he didn’t even stir. Danny made sure to keep out of their way but close enough in case Steve did wake up and all he’d see would be strange faces. Yet, Danny’s eyes didn’t meet Steve’s hazel ones.

Danny’s sifting through one of the countless magazines provided by the hospital, he realizes he’s been reading the same line over and over again when he sighs, closing the magazine and tossing it on the table in front of the couch, giving up.

He looks up, and his heart jumps when his eyes land on Steve. Awake. Looking at him.

“Babe!” Danny gets to his feet in a second, and he’s by Steve’s side in another.

“Danno,” Steve speaks, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask.

“Oh my God, hi, hey,” Danny momentarily closes his eyes, his hand going to Steve’s hair and runs his fingers through his boyfriend’s hair.

Steve gives Danny a tired smile and leans into his touch.

“How long have you been watching me?” Danny raises an eyebrow.

“A while.”

“Of course you have,” Danny chuckles, shaking his head. “How are you feeling?”

Steve shrugs.

“Yeah, that would be the pain killers.”

Steve nods, swallowing against his dry throat.

“Want some water?”

Steve nods again.

“Okay.” Danny moves to remove Steve’s mask, but pauses. “Take slow, even breaths when I remove this, okay? You need it.” He then grabs the cup on the nightstand and guides the straw through Steve’s chapped lips. “Easy, babe, easy.”

Once Steve is satisfied, Danny puts the cup back and covers Steve’s mouth. The taller man comes to move but stops, wincing through gritted teeth.

“Cracked ribs,” Danny says. “A concussion, bruised lung.”

Steve sighs, lowering his gaze from Danny’s face.

Danny then leans in, kissing Steve’s forehead and temple. Steve closes his eyes, melting against his partner, and it dawns on him, one again, just how close he was to losing this.

“I’m sorry,” Steve mumbles. “I really am.”

“It’s okay, babe. Nearly gave me a heart attack when I found you but it’s okay. You’re okay.”

“Thank you for always being here.”

“Yeah, well, where else would I be, you big goof,” Danny plants another kiss to Steve’s hair.

“So—”

“Before you ask, doc said the earliest he’ll let you out is tomorrow, so how about you behave yourself till then?”

Steve nods, suppressing a yawn.

“Get some rest, the team send their love.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Sleep…”

“I’m fine right here. Don’t think for a second that I’m leaving you and going home,” Danny says. “Cause that’s not happening.”

“Love you, Danno.”

“Love you, too, babe.”

*****

Light is streaming into the room when Steve wakes up next. It takes him a few moments to get accustomed to the light, but when he does and looks around, the room is empty. His heart picks up, looking for Danny.

One cue, a nurse walks in, smiling when she sees Steve awake.

“Good morning, Commander.”

“Where’s—where’s Danny?”

“Detective Williams is getting a cup of coffee down the corridor, he’ll be back in a minute,” she assures him.

Yet Steve couldn’t bring himself to relax until Danny walked through his room door, in fact, holding a cup of hot coffee.

“Morning, babe,” Danny smiles when he sees Steve awake and alert. “You okay?”

Steve nods. “Just got a bit worried, thought you left.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Danny says, softly kissing Steve’s temple.

The doctor comes in a few minutes later, glad to see his patient awake.

“Commander McGarrett, I’m happy to see that you’re awake. How are you feeling today?”

“Better than yesterday,” Steve gives him a small smile. 

“I’m glad to hear that. I have some good news, having Detective Williams filling me in on your unlikeliness to stay in the hospital for long, I’m doing everything I can to make sure you’re healthy enough to leave and continue your recovery at home.”

“That’s great to hear, thank you,” Steve nods.

“And for now, I think it’s time to replace the mask with a nasal cannula, under one condition. If you start having difficulty breathing the mask is going back on.”

Steve and Danny are back home the next morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is here! Full of feels. I hope you enjoy and feedback is always greatly appreciated!

Steve and Danny decided to stay at Danny’s house because it has no stairs. As much as Steve wanted to be tough, his ribs didn’t like it when he moved his legs. So, yeah, stairs were out of the question. Which, in hindsight, turned out to be a good thing because Charlie was staying with Danny for the week, and the little boy did wonders to bring up Steve’s spirits.

Steve had taken residence on the couch, pillows and a blanket around him with cold bottles of water and a bowl of chips on the table in front of him. Danny didn’t object to the chips, but made sure he has everything he needs to cook a healthy dinner.

“You good, babe?” Danny asks, walking out of the kitchen and towards the living room.

“Yeah,” Steve nods, the remote control in his hands as he flips through the channels to find the game.

“Good,” Danny stands behind the couch, kissing the top of Steve’s head. “Charlie is going to be home soon.”

“I’m looking forward to spending some time with the little guy,” Steve smiles.

“I’ll tell him to take it slow with you, you know how much he loves hanging with you and doing all sorts of crazy ninja stuff. I still don’t know how I let you drag my kid into that,” Danny sighs dramatically.

“Because you love me,” Steve teases.

“God help me, I do.”

The doorbell rings fifteen minutes later, and Danny is met with an armful of Charlie when he opens the door.

“Hey buddy,” Danny chuckles, hugging his son.

“Daddy! And Steve!” Charlie exclaims with excitement, seeing Steve on the couch over Danny’s shoulder.

“Come here,” Steve extends his arms towards him.

Danny puts Charlie down. “Easy on Steve, okay? He’s a little hurt.”

Charlie nods and walks over to Steve. “Are you okay?”

“I’m better now that you’re here, buddy. Come here and give me a hug,” Steve pats his lap.

Charlie looks at Danny, who nods at him.

Charlie carefully climbs into Steve’s lap and wraps his arms around the older man’s neck. Steve smiles, embracing the little boy.

“Can you play with me?”

“I would love to play with you,” Steve replies, ruffling Charlie’s hair.

Charlie smiles, sliding off Steve’s lap and runs into his room to get his toy soldiers and cars.

Steve chuckles at Charlie’s enthusiasm.

Charlie is back in the living room a couple minutes later, bumping everything out of the bag onto the table.

“Okay, play nice, kids until I finish the food,” Danny says, taking a moment to watch his boyfriend and son interact before heading into the kitchen, hearing Steve mimic explosion sounds and car engines.

The day had flown by, especially for Steve who was confided to the couch and the bathroom near the living room. Charlie had kept his mind off everything that happened, getting hurt, watching a man die, learning what his grandfather did that day at Pearl Harbor…it was all fighting to take over Steve’s mind, but he had managed to push it to the back of his head, telling himself that he needed rest and he’d deal with it later.

Danny noticed how quiet Steve got once Charlie drifted off, though. The boy was sitting between the two men when his eyes began to close and he ended up fast asleep with his head in Steve’s lap, the SEAL running his fingers through Charlie’s hair.

Danny had scooped up his sleeping boy in his arms, tucking him into the car bed Steve put together for him. He kissed his son’s forehead before retreating back into the living room to find Steve staring into space.

“Babe?” Danny says, sitting on the couch next to Steve.

“Hmm?” Steve turns his head to look at Danny and he looks so…tired.

“You okay? You’ve been quiet for a while.”

Steve nods. “Just tired, I’m fine.”

Danny doesn’t respond, he just searches Steve’s face and then extends his hand to take Steve’s, who wraps his fingers tightly around the detective’s touch.

They sit in silence for about ten minutes and then Danny grabs the remote, switching off the television and getting to his feet.

“Lets go to bed.”

Steve doesn’t argue and lets Danny help him up and they make their way to their bedroom.

Steve doesn’t fall asleep. He can tell, however, by the steady rise of Danny’s chest and his consistent heartbeat, that the shorter man has drifted off. Steve sighs, feeling like tossing to the other side but he knew his ribs wouldn’t approve of such movement. So he holds his ground. He closes his eyes and wills his head to shut up. He’s so caught up in his own head that he doesn’t feel Danny’s hand moving up and down his back, and the blond’s voice startles him.

“You’re not fine,” Danny says in a low voice.

“Danny…”

“But it’s okay not to be fine,” Danny continues, not giving Steve a chance to interject. “Especially after everything that happened. I just want you to know that I’m here for whenever you’re ready to talk.”

Steve can’t find his voice to reply so he kisses Danny’s chest instead.

*****

The days that follow are slow, and Steve gets more distant and quieter as each day passes by. Danny promised to give him space but that doesn’t help his worrying mind and how he wants to take Steve into his arms and hold him so tightly until the other man lets go and lets everything pour out. They hold each other, though, they slip their hands into each other’s here and there, Steve would fall asleep with his head on Danny’s shoulder, and they both need and depend on the physical contact. Danny makes himself believe that it’s enough for now.

Steve tries to smile when Charlie is around, but Danny can see right through it. Steve doesn’t want to worry the little kid, knowing that his mind can’t really grasp everything that happened.

 _Worry him_ , Steve thinks. Yeah, Charlie definitely has too much of his dad in him. Even at such a young age, Charlie makes it a point and asks Steve how he is every day. And every day Steve smiles, and tells him that he’s fine.

And Danny knows his boyfriend isn’t fine. Not by a long shot.

Steve’s nearly running up the walls when he finally gets the okay from the doctor to go back to work. He and Danny are in the next day, bright and early. Danny doesn’t know what to expect from Steve so he treads lightly, and he doesn’t bother hiding his surprise when Steve settles in his office, and starts going through paperwork. If that does anything, it increases Danny’s worry and concern. Because since when does Steve McGarrett, Mister SuperSEAL, willingly trap himself behind his desk and bury his face in paper.

The rest of the team arrives to headquarters an hour later. They, too, are surprised to see Steve and Danny back and even more surprised when they see what their leader is doing. Instead of heading to their respective offices, they all pile into Danny’s.

“You’re back,” Chin says, walking through the glass door.

“Evidently so,” Danny nods, lifting his eyes from the computer screen.

“How’s he doing?” Lou asks, nudging his head in the direction of Steve’s office.

Danny sighs, leaning back into his chair. “I don’t know. He was fine the first couple days, but then everything…stopped. Having Charlie around helped but he isn’t talking much, he eats just enough to get by…he’s bottling it all up and now this,” a bitter laugh leaves his lips. “Since when does he do _paperwork_.”

“We’re all here for whatever you guys needs,” Kono reminds him.

“Thanks, guys,” Danny nods.

It turns out to be a slow day at the office. With no robberies or murder cases or anything of the sort for Steve and the team to chase down around the island and possibly risk their lives over, every member had spent the majority of the day in their personal office, either going through old unsolved cases or finishing up various reports.

Steve lets everyone go home early.

“You ready, babe?” Danny asks as he strides into Steve’s office.

“Yeah, almost,” Steve nods, closing the open paper files in front of him and stacking them at the corner of the desk.

Danny catches a glimpse of what’s on Steve’s computer screen and his heart drops a little. The interview about what his grandfather did at Pearl Harbor.

They don’t talk on the way home, the radio hums in the background as Steve focuses on the road and Danny glances out the window, watching the island blur as it rolls by. And then he gets an idea.

Steve pulls the Camero into the driveway, and both men get out. Danny heads into the kitchen once they’re inside, mentally taking note of things they’re missing.

“I’m gonna make a run to the grocery store,” he announces. “Do you want anything other than the usual?”

“No, I’m good,” comes Steve’s reply from the bedroom.

“Alright, I won’t be long. Text me if you remember anything.”

Danny’s back home thirty minutes later. And as soon as he approaches his house, he realizes that the Silverado is gone.

Danny takes the groceries in, storing them away. Knowing where Steve most likely went, he gets back into the Camaro and drives off.

*****

The knot in Danny’s stomach relaxes a bit when he spots the truck parked in front of Steve’s house. At least the SEAL didn’t stray far.

He quickly gets out of the car and knocks on the front door, not wanting to just barge in on Steve with no warning. When he gets no response, which he frankly had expected, he pulls out his keys and uses the one Steve gave him to unlock the door and walks in.

“Steve?” Danny calls out. And then he hears shuffling upstairs. He climbs the stairs and heads towards Steve’s bedroom.

He finds Steve crouching over an ancient box, and he knows from the first peek that it belongs to his grandfather.

“Hey,” Danny says softly, not wanting to surprise Steve even though he knows Steve heard him come in. The man has super hearing after all. “Thought I’d find you here.”

Steve nods, his eyes glued on the items in his hands.

Danny takes a few steps and stands next to Steve, his eyes landing on the same items.

“The Purple Heart,” Steve says without needing Danny to ask.

“It’s beautiful,” Danny gapes, marvel coating his voice.

Steve nods. The purple heart-shaped rock is stunning, the way it catches the light and reflects it through it, radiating such a pure gradient of the color. Steve moves his fingers to touch it, running his skin over the smooth edges and he instantly feels a deeper connection to his grandfather, the man he was named after. Deeper than he ever felt it before.

“And what’s this?” Danny’s voice brings Steve back.

“My grandparents on their wedding day,” Steve smiles, looking at the picture in his other hand.

“They looked happy,” Danny observes.

“Yeah,” Steve’s voice wobbles. He clears his throat, trying to cover it up but Danny had noticed it.

The detective carefully takes the items out of Steve’s hands, settling them on the nightstand before putting his hands on Steve’s shoulder, turning his body to face him.

Danny takes Steve’s stubbly face into his hands, his thumbs on Steve’s cheekbones. “Babe, what is it?”

“Nothing, I just…” Steve tries to shake his head but the look in Danny’s eyes stop his words.

The blues of Danny, looking straight into Steve’s hazels screaming _talk to me, babe, please, I’m right here…_

Steve closes his eyes, and with a sigh he lets his head drop forward a little, mostly supported by Danny’s hands. He knew it was time to let Danny in, he had spent too much time pushing his boyfriend away, building walls around himself and he felt lonely, so very lonely it hurt his heart. And he knew it was hurting Danny, too, seeing him in such pain and not able to do anything about it. Steve needed the pain to stop, for both of them.

“Come on,” Danny whispers, taking Steve’s hand and leads him to the bed. They need to be sitting down for this conversation.

Danny turns to face Steve, who spends a minute or so fidgeting with his hands in his lap. Knowing Steve does this when he’s nervous or stalling, Danny takes Steve’s hands and gives them a supportive squeeze.

“I’ve always thought about it, you know,” Steve starts after a few moments of gathering his thoughts. “What he did at Pearl Harbor…I used to lie awake at night, imagine it and now…now I know and I just…” he takes in a shuddered breath, shaking his head. “He willingly gave up his life to save others, and I don’t know how I could ever live up to that.”

“What do you mean?” Danny frowns.

“I’m named after him, Danny,” Steve says, tearing up. “I’m practically his legacy. I’ve lived my entire life with that at the back of my head. He’s a big part of why I joined the Navy and now, knowing what he so selflessly did, I can’t help but wonder if every decision I’ve made lives up to that.”

“Babe, you risk your life every day to save so many people,” Danny says.

“It’s not the same thing,” Steve shakes his head. “It’s my job, and yeah, it’s in my nature to want to help and save others, but it’s not the same thing. It was chaotic, men running out while he ran in, and he knew without a doubt, that he wouldn’t survive. And yet he made that decision. I don’t know if I would have been able to do that if I were in his place.”

“We could never know that, Steve, but what we know, what _I_ know, is that you are the bravest person I know. And you live up to his name. Besides, I can name a few times where neither you nor I knew for fact that you’d survive. You run into situations, your instinct and guts kick in—it drives me mad—but you put other people’s lives before your own, and you always come out of it. You may not make conscious decisions about it, but you and your grandfather have that in common.”

“It doesn’t feel like it,” Steve’s voice breaks and he closes his eyes.

One of Danny’s hands finds Steve’s face. “Look at me. Babe, look at me.”

Steve slowly opens his eyes.

“I’ve never lied to you, and I’ll never lie to you. I know how much this must be impacting you, I know what goes on in that crazy head of yours. But please believe me when I tell you that you live up to him so much, you’re cut from the same cloth. I know this, just like I know he’d be so proud of you, just as I am proud of you.”

A tear rolls down Steve’s cheek, and there’s so much honesty and sincerity and love in Danny’s voice and eyes, it steals Steve’s breath. And then something warm settles in him, feeling that he isn’t alone, and he knows that the man in front of him—the love of his life—has just saved him once again.

Steve leans into Danny’s touch just as Danny leans in to kiss Steve’s forehead.

“I wish I had known him,” Steve confesses.

“I know, babe. I know you two would have been inseparable.”

Steve nods. He misses a man he never got to know, possibly the greatest man he’s ever heard of.

“I have a suggestion,” Danny says.

“Yeah?”

“How about we get some frames, hang the medal and some of his pictures?”

Steve smiles. “I like that idea.”

“Good,” Danny mirrors his smile and captures Steve’s lips with his own.

Steve lets Danny control the kiss, both too tired to dominate and at the same time craving Danny’s touch and taste. He easily parts his lips for Danny, both pouring everything into each other and seeking comfort and safety.

“I also have one more suggestion,” Danny says when they part, both of them catching their breath and their foreheads touching.

Steve chuckles. “Tell me.”

“I feel like you need a break from this island, that we both need a break, so how about I take you home, to Jersey and show you around?”

Steve pulls back, his eyes sparkling. “Are you saying you want to take me home to meet your family, Danno?”

“Technically, you’ve already met most of them. But yeah,” Danny nods. “What do you say?”

Steve leans in to kiss Danny once again. “I say yes.”

Danny caresses Steve’s cheek.

“I wonder if they’ll like me,” Steve teases.

“Shut up,” Danny playfully rolls his eyes and plants another kiss to Steve’s lips. “You’re already a Williams family favorite. And you sure are my favorite, babe.”

“You’re in luck, Danno, because you, too, are my favorite,” Steve wiggles his eyebrows.

They’re a family, and that is all they ever need.


End file.
